The idea of turning food waste into energy seemed pretty futuristic at the time. Well, the technology now exists in Northern Ireland to make it a reality. Ok, so time travel remains impossible, but renewable energy in the form of electricity is being created from food scraps at Granville Ecopark in Dungannon with the help of anaerobic digesters.

When food is biodegraded by bacteria in an oxygen-free environment, such as in a landfill, the greenhouse gas methane is generated. However, under controlled conditions, such as digesters, the methane can be captured and used to produce power.

Granville Ecopark produces 2.76 megawatts of renewable electricity into Northern Ireland’s local grid – enough to provide electricity for 5000 of our homes! The material leftover at the end of the process can be reused as compost in local parks.

This is exciting work. Food contains useful ingredients for industrial purposes and every bit of energy that can be drawn from it means that we don’t need to use other resources.

Now that the value of food waste has been recognised, we’re finding all sorts of great things to do with it. So, the next time you put a banana peel in your caddy, think of Doc Brown and his DeLorean! He’d be thrilled.

Feed Your Food Caddy

Find out more about waste and recycling services in your local council area.

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